There was a gunpowder explosion in a market at Talata-Mafara town in Zamfara State.
Over 50 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries during the explosion.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon, February 18, 2025, when a locally made gun exploded and hit a powdered material being sold for locally made gun owners.
“The incident occurred in the afternoon when the activities of the market were going on,” an indigene of Talata-Mafara town, Aminu Mohammed, said.
“One of the vigilante group members came to buy the powdered material for his gun and suddenly his gun exploded and hit the substance. As a result, the whole area went ablaze.
“More than 50 persons have been seriously injured due to the explosion while several others also sustained injuries as they struggled to escape out of the market,” he said.
The victims were transferred to the Usman Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital Sokoto for medical treatment.
A medical worker at the General Hospital Talata-Mafara, who pleaded anonymity, informed Punch that the victims were brought to the hospital for treatment but were transferred to the Usman Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital Sokoto.
“The patients have to be evacuated to Sokoto because they could not be treated here at the General Hospital Talata-Mafara due to lack of facilities,” the source said.
He stressed that the victims were seriously injured by the explosion and needed proper care. He maintained that the fire would have consumed the whole market if not for the intervention of security personnel and firefighters.
The chairman of Talata-Mafara Local Government Area, Yahaya Yari, said he was in Sokoto with the affected persons for medical treatment, but declined further comments.
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